Help! 18 horse Craftsman riding mower belt problem

[Lockheart]

Hi all! Glad I found this place. Maybe I can get some help from someone here instead of the company that sells the stupid thing.

It's an 18 horse (Briggs) Craftsman GT6000 with 44" deck. Model number 917.255920.

My landlord was gracious enough to allow me to use the mower that has been stored at our rental for years. He told me all it needed was a battery... Yeah...

Put in a new battery and starter. Fired right up. Went to put it in gear, nothing.

Check the belts, the drive belt popped off. Belt is brand new.

Reroute belt... doesn't fit. Yes, the routing is correct.

No way to adjust tensioner pulley (as per Sears and their less than handy 'managemylife' people[because we all need a 7 dollar an hour hack sitting at a computer helping us manage our life]).

So, I have the correct belt length, according to Sears. 95"x1/2". When installed, the clutch petal is all the way down, but is so tight that the trans would be engaged. I went and got a 96"x1/2" belt. It's an inch too big, though the clutch engages/disengages properly, the belt is sloppy and just slips.

Riddle me this... How can the proper belt be 2-3 inches too small, but a belt one inch bigger be about an inch too big?

The routing of the belt goes around the engine and trans pulley, and on the outside of the clutch pulley, and inside of the idler pulley.

Any help is appreciated, and thanks in advance.

 

[fastback]

You know, I'm thinking that maybe you should check the length of the belt and see if it measures 95 1/2. It'd possible its mismarked. If its the correct length then there has to be a problem with how its being installed or someone has changed a pulley or idler.

 

[CajunCub]

Recheck your belt route....Good Luck!:thumbsup:

 

[Lockheart]

Cajun,

The pic you provided shows 5 pulleys, my machine only has four. Engine, clutch, idler, transmission.

The routing is correct. Again, around the trans, and the engine pulley. On the outside of the clutch pulley, and inside of the idler. If you go on the inside of the clutch pulley, it would work opposite of the way it's supposed to, where by depressing the peddle the clutch would engage, instead of disengage. If you go on the outside of the idler, the belt rubs hard against a deck bracket.

fast,

The belt that is in the machine was measured this morning. It measures out at exactly 95 inches. This belt makes it so that the clutch pulley is in the normal "loose" position, but there's massive amounts of tension on the belt. A 96" belt is way too loose, both with the clutch pulley engaged and disengaged. With the 95" belt, there is zero clutch pulley movement when the pedal is released. With the 96", the pulley travels normally, but doesn't put enough tension on the belt.

So, are you saying that I should try to find a 95.5" belt, since it falls right in the middle?

 

[fastback]

No I misread your post, I thought you had a 95.5 belt, my bad. Does your tractor have a vertical or horisontal shaft motor? I have one of each, the number I have that is closest to yours is a
917.255917 and its a horizontal shaft.

 

[Lockheart]

It's going... I don't know how, but it's going. A friend came over with a couple different belt options, and fixed it lol. I forgot to ask him what belt he put in.

 

[fastback]

Glad to hear that you got it fixed.